Private Bet #8: Warriors of Love
by Shade
Summary: Sometimes even a small change can make all the difference if its done at the right moment. Can two wounded hearts find happiness with each other in a universe where everyone else is trying to stop them? At least one person is willing to bet on it!
1. Part 1: Love and other dirty four letter...

Private Bet #8: Warriors of Love  
by Shade  
  
To Disclaim or not to Disclaim, whether tis nobler to  
disclaim first or to wait and disclaim after. Wherefore  
art thou Disclaimer?  
  
~~~~~~~  
Part 1: Love and other dirty four letter words.  
~~~~~~~  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
A small grey kitten padded her way toward the pool,   
most noticable on her forehead was a small shining   
crescent moon.  
  
"Huh?? Diana how'd you get here?" Rowan, Shadow, and   
the Guardian looked like kids who's hands had been caught  
in the cookie jar. They had good reason to be nervous too,   
if their wives found out about this there would be a good deal  
more then Hell to pay...  
  
"Mom and Dad are busy and so is Chibi-Usa.   
I got bored so I went looking for you."   
  
Several of the rougher entities backed away,   
unable to cope with the sucrose overload.   
Shadow could already feel cavities forming.  
  
"Um...now's not a good time."  
  
"Oooh...what's that? Isn't that Endymion?!"  
  
Busted. That particular Bet would have to be  
the one being watched at the moment.   
  
"Ah...well...you see..."  
  
Not being able to lie really sucked sometimes   
in Rowan's opinion. He shot a pointed look at  
the others, this was all their fault. Picking  
a timeline where Prince Endymion died a horrible  
screaming death was bad enough, but deciding to   
enlarge the scene with blow by blow playback had   
just been plain stupid.  
  
"You're being naughty again aren't you!"  
  
They tried to look innocent and failed miserably.  
  
"I'm going to tell..." Diana singsonged.  
  
"You wouldn't dare."  
  
"Who's turn is it this week? Hmm?"  
  
A definitely mischievous expression   
was on the Moonkitten's face.  
  
"Alright!! You win!!!" They cried.  
  
"What can be so bad about that?"  
  
The Bard wondered what threat was so   
horrible as to scare these three.  
  
"Four words. Setsuna, Black Leather, Bullwhip."  
  
The Guardian looked like he could use a drink,   
or better yet a whole bottle.  
  
The Bard's eyes widened.  
  
"I...see."  
  
"I wanna make a change here!"  
  
"Wait a minute!"  
  
Too late.  
  
All they could do now was watch and groan.  
  
~~~~~~  
-Entering Ranma Timeline  
  
[..."She's really a very sweet girl" Doctor Tofu had said.]  
  
"Like hell she is." Ranma retorted weakly as   
he remembered that conversation.   
  
Right after his legs had locked up Akane had stopped   
and LAUGHED at his predicament. But only AFTER   
she had bashed him on the head with her schoolbag.  
Of course his mouth had shot off, he'd been raised   
to fight back against any kind of attack and with   
Genma as a father you learned to act first and think later.   
  
It usually worked.  
  
Just not this time. After several agonizing minutes   
had passed Akane had left his much battered and aching   
body on the street as she went home.  
  
"Find your own way back you Sexchanging Perverted Jerk!!"  
  
Those had been her last words as she walked   
away without looking back once. Her voice had   
been as cold as finely tempered steel and cut   
deepler then even the finest masamune blade.  
  
At this point Ranma Saotome's life had for   
all intents and purposes hit rock bottom.  
  
In the last six months he'd picked up a   
Jusenkyo curse that turned him into a girl   
at the worst possible times, a bloodthirsty   
amazon was after his head, he was engaged   
without his consent to someone he'd thought   
might have become a friend but had instead   
only insulted him and attacked him once she   
found out he was really a guy, and to add   
insult to injury the local bully had developed   
a fixation on him as girl while trying to kill   
him when he was a guy.   
  
When he'd arrived at the Tendo Dojo Ranma had  
emotionally latched onto the first person to   
show him any kindess there, Akane Tendo.   
But after being constantly confronted with   
open hostility the chances of any sort of   
attachment forming between him and her had   
been squashed like a particularly annoying bug.   
Except that you usually stopped hitting the   
bug after it was dead.  
  
Things *couldn't* get any worse.  
  
Then he turned around.  
  
"Ca...ca..ca.cacacacacacacCAT!!!!!!"  
  
If he'd been coherent at the time Ranma would   
have sworn to never make such a foolish statement   
ever again.  
  
However he was too busy trying to stop his   
fragile hold on sanity from snapping entirely.  
  
Ranma started to panic even more as the white   
feline approached him. So caught up was he in   
his efforts to get away from it that he didn't   
notice the cresent moon on its forehead.  
  
Artemis smirked, if cats could be said to smirk.  
  
This was going to be so much fun!  
  
But just when it looked like all hope was lost...  
  
"Shoo Artemis! Stop teasing him!"  
  
As Ranma looked up into Minako Aino's big   
blue eyes he could have sworn he heard a   
little *twing* as if someone had just fired   
a bow. But that was silly, there wasn't anyone   
else here except him and this beautiful, caring,   
wonderful girl...  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Cupid started worrying, this was not going   
according to plan. What had gone wrong?   
All he had to do was to shoot Ranma as  
soon as the girl helped him up. But this   
wasn't the right girl!  
  
{Damn it!!!}(1)   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ranma just about lost faith in the   
fairer sex and was going to say   
to heck with it all and become a   
monk when this angel suddenly came   
to his rescue.  
  
Now here she was trying to help him   
and make him feel better.They were   
sitting in a booth at a nearby burger   
joint, waiting for Ranma's legs to recover.  
  
It was the first truly nice deed anyone had   
ever done for him without demanding something   
in return.  
  
Much to his continued relief the white   
cc..a...ca...feline had not made another   
appearence. He was a bit stunned that Minako   
had been able to carry him this far. There was   
a hidden strength in that seemingly delicate   
body he realized, not as strong as Akane's,   
but somehow more appealing that way.   
  
To pass the time they talked, and much   
to Ranma's surprise once he started he   
found himself spilling out practically   
his entire life story to her sympathetic ear.   
And he also found himself listening to parts   
of her life too, it seemed that this girl had  
also been looking for someone to unburden herself  
to. Misery loved company.  
  
Though he sensed that there was much she left unsaid   
Ranma said nothing, after all he hadn't told her   
everything either. She probably wouldn't have  
believed the more fantastic parts without proof   
and he didn't want her to think he was some kind  
of freak.   
  
Old wounds mend slowly.  
  
Ranma was more cautious this time after   
having been burned once already.  
So far his experiences with girls had   
been zero for two, and he wasn't exactly   
anxious for a third strikeout.  
  
But maybe...  
  
~~~~~~  
  
"So that explains why he always used to eat Akane's cooking..."  
  
"Besides the fact she shoves it down his throat anyway?"  
  
"Well, that too."  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
Minako Aino had just gone through a   
very rough time in her life. She had   
lost her first love to one of her best   
friends back in England. Because of her   
secret identity as Sailor V she had   
become a loner, her duty coming first   
over friendship and the normal things   
girls her age usually did. Now here she   
was, starting over in Japan, even more   
alone then before...  
  
Despite her outward attempt to keep   
up a cheerful demeanor she was hurting   
badly.   
  
Running into someone with a situation   
similar to hers was a surprise to say   
the least. Looking at the handsome   
pigtailed boy in front of her she had   
trouble believing that this wasn't   
just another one of her many romantic   
daydreams. He wasn't an idol, a minus.   
But on the other hand he was rather   
cute and really nice, both major   
pluses in her book. After all, she  
wasn't exactly in a position to be   
choosy.  
  
Maybe...  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
"Uh oh."  
  
Rowan was getting a really bad feeling about this.  
Perhaps Setsuna in her 'Oujo-sama to Oyobi' outfit  
would have been a better choice after all.  
  
(To be continued)  
  
*$*$*$*$*  
  
(1) This is not the cute cherub that you're thinking of.   
While reading up on Rifts for Bet #10 I found an entry   
for an EVIL Cupid. This demon only LOOKS cute and innocent.  
He gets his thrills from ruining people's lives by causing them to   
fall in love (or lust) with the worst possible person for them.  
And if by some miracle the love starts to work out...  
Cupid uses his arrows to create rivals and make other   
obstacles leading toward broken hearts and shattered dreams.   
Hmmm...Sound familar? 


	2. Part 2: Of Minako and Men

~~~~~~~  
Part 2: Of Minako and Men  
  
Disclaimer: Ranma and Sailor Moon aren't mine,   
but nobody else was crazy enough to   
try to write this particular story except me. ^_^  
  
-Shade  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
Ranma smiled as he walked back   
toward the Tendo household. Today   
had been the best day of his life.   
He hadn't felt this good since...  
since...  
  
...since Ucchan.  
  
A friend.  
  
Finally, after so many failed attempts  
he'd found a real friend at last.  
  
And maybe someday...something more.  
  
Nothing could spoil his mood at the moment.  
  
*Splash*  
  
Well...almost nothing.  
  
The pigtailed red-head shot a dirty look at the old lady,   
she was STILL cleaning the sidewalk at this hour?!  
  
She (formerly he) started to walk away, then paused   
in midstride as an idea hit her. This Horse was   
through with letting people ride her into the dirt   
and just letting them get away with it.   
  
It was payback time...  
  
~~~~~  
  
Ranma pressed herself against the wall   
surrounding the house to avoid detection.   
Grinning mischieviously she hefted a bucket   
of cold water she'd gotten from a garden hose,   
listening carefully for the sounds of her   
target on the other side of the stone wall.   
  
Heave-ho!  
  
*Splash*  
  
An old woman screamed in utter   
outrage as she was drenched  
by an icy downpour.  
  
The pigtailed girl clapped a hand over   
her mouth to keep her laughter from escaping   
and giving away her location as she ran off.  
  
Revenge was sweet.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
The Tendo household was concerned, where was Ranma?  
  
Akane had arrived earlier saying that "the Baka"   
had been delayed and would probably be coming back   
later. The hours had passed, dinner came and went   
and still no Ranma.  
  
Kasumi had put aside part of the meal for   
him despite Genma's protests. Even Akane was   
starting to worry as guilt over her earlier   
actions began to set in. She'd left him behind   
when she knew he couldn't walk, could something   
have happened to him?! Maybe she should go out   
to look for that jerk and yell at him for making them worry!!  
  
Just as Akane sprang up to tell her father that she   
was going out to look for her not-fiancee (she didn't   
really care about him, but it just wasn't right to leave   
him out there) a cheerful and badly out of tune whistling   
floated up from the front door.   
  
~~~~~~~  
-A short while later  
  
"How dare you worry your father like that Ranma! That kind   
of irresponsible behavior is a disgrace to the Saotome family!!"  
  
Nod.  
  
*Mumble, mumble*  
  
Nod again.  
  
"Pay attention!!!"  
  
The younger Saotome was occupied with matters   
of a more important nature, namely feeding the   
black hole laughingly referred to as his stomach.   
This lecture had been going on ever since he'd set   
foot back in the Tendo residence, but experience had   
taught him how to tune out the old man's irritating   
voice. After a quick "Hello" to Kasumi and the   
wonderful discovery that she'd saved him some of   
dinner for him he'd gotten right down to business.  
  
Fifteen minutes later the edge had been taken off his hunger  
and he felt much better.  
  
"Thanks a lot Kasumi. I really needed that,   
it's been one heck of a day."  
  
Ranma shot her a grateful smile that seemed to light   
up the room. That was the straw that broke the back   
of the anorexic camel of restraint.  
  
"YOU JERK!!! First you get us all worried and now   
you're FLIRTING with my sister!!! Keep your perversions   
away from Kasumi!!!"  
  
"Knock it off ya stupid tomboy, it was your fault I'm late!"  
  
Akane's fist rocketed out. Her method of winning an   
argument wasn't logically sound but very effective   
none the less.  
  
*POW*  
  
A sharp flash of pain to his forehead was   
the last thing Ranma felt before he collapsed.  
  
Genma took this oppertunity to make off   
with his son's dinner and devour it before   
anyone could stop him.  
  
Seeing that he wasn't going to be waking up anytime  
soon the rest of the household left the unconscious martial   
artist where he was at Genma's insistance "to toughen the   
boy up". That didn't stop Kasumi from covering him up with  
a warm blanket for the night, or Nabiki from rooting around   
in his pants (get your heads out of the gutter!) for enough   
yen to pay for the old pillow she slipped under the large   
lump protruding from the pigtailed boy's thick skull.  
  
"He never learns. Akane's definitely   
going to be wearing the pants in their   
marriage."  
  
Well, as long as she got paid it was none of her business...  
  
"Nabiki! It's not nice to say things like that."  
  
Kasumi shot her mercenary sister a disapproving look.  
  
"Well Tendo, it looks like the sparks between our children   
are heating up, they'll be married in no time!"  
  
"Yes Saotome, soon our dream of uniting the schools   
will at last be fullfilled!"  
  
Tears of joy poured forth from Soun's eyes.  
  
Once the sake was produced there was no going back.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
Gurgles of nausea erupted forth as the viewers   
were put through the Anything Goes Singing and   
Drinking Chorus Line.  
  
"What reality are those two morons living in?"  
  
"Even the Gods don't know that one."  
  
The Guardian felt a need to pay tribute to the   
porcelain goddess. Bad enough that they were already   
pulling out microphones, but Disco?!  
  
"Somebody smite them, please!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The changes in the timeline started to snowball...  
  
That last punch had been the final blow.   
  
The emotional credit limit of one Ranma Saotome   
for one Akane Tendo had just been reached and   
overextended. The act of kindness that would   
have pulled it back into the black and trapped   
the boy in an unhappy fate was not delivered this   
time.   
  
In hopes of having her as a friend Ranma had   
given Akane a *huge* starting balance of emotional   
credit when they first met (the equivalent of a   
platinum card). But over a short amount of time her   
childish temper tantrums and cruel abuse had used up  
all of that initial sum and more. Lots more, so much   
that even if Akane had been able to breathe from the   
top of head she'd *still* have been in the red.  
  
The first required payments to keep the account active   
had been made by Genma and Soun, their insistance on the   
engagement being a matter of honor had just been able to   
satisfy the first interest payment incurred. But the   
principal of the debt had still remained. And without   
any positive deposits, not even a single kind word or   
smile from the Tendo girl, Ranma's heart had no choice   
but to shut the account down.   
  
Meanwhile, a new account had just   
been opened for one Minako Aino.  
  
*Her* account was starting firmly in the black....  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
Of some importance later on but not having anything   
to do with what was happening right now was the first meeting   
between Usagi Tsukino and a black cat with a crescent moon on   
its forehead had just taken place on the same day.  
  
The white cat with the crecent moon on its forehead   
on the other hand did have an immediate bearing on   
the story at hand so while a certain martial artist visited  
"la la" land the scene shifted toward a certain girl's bedroom   
where Artemis was giving his charge a long and very through  
lecture on why it was dangerous to even think of getting in a   
relationship with anyone at the present time.  
  
"Blahblah...It's too dangerous...  
Yakkity yack...You can't afford to   
relax your guard...Etc...etc....   
remember what happened last time?   
Minako? Minako?! MINAKO!!!"  
  
The attractive blonde he was addressing   
was busy hugging a stuffed teddy bear to   
her chest as she lay in her bed and   
replaying that run in with that boy again.  
Her smile seemed to have an extra glow to it,   
one that had been missing for weeks ever   
since she had returned from England.  
  
"He had such dreamy eyes...Did you say something Artemis?"  
  
*SPLAT*   
  
After picking himself up from his facefault the cat leaped  
up to reach an equal level with the daydreaming girl's head.  
That was one of the drawbacks of his feline form, how could   
anyone expect to take you seriously when they had to always   
look down at you?   
  
"You are not going to see that guy, whatshisname again. Understand?"  
  
"Ranma Aino...not bad...Minako Saotome...  
that has a nice ring to it."  
  
Veins started to throb and bulge on his head as   
the cat guardian began to hyperventilate. This  
was getting out of hand!  
  
"MINA!"  
  
"I'm kidding Artemis. Sheesh, you're no fun at all.  
It's not like the world is going to end if I just happen  
to make a friend here. And as for what happens later...  
well, who can say?"  
  
"Nothing is going to happen, that's what! We have a very   
important mission, remember!!"  
  
"I know, I know. Protect the world from the evil   
Negaverse. Honestly, that doesn't mean I can't   
have a life as well!"  
  
Artemis wisely decided not to argue   
with that last part right now.   
  
First things first.  
  
"What's gotten into you Mina?!   
You're not acting like yourself!!"  
  
"What are you talking about Artemis?   
I feel fine....just so much more alive now."  
  
"See! that guy's already having a bad influence!"  
  
"I told you already, all we did was talk. Ranma's really a   
very nice person at heart. It's not his fault that he's scared of   
cats. You really shouldn't have teased him, maybe an apology is   
in order."  
  
"Me?! Apologize to that...that...scoundrel?!"  
  
"Why Artemis, you sound almost...jealous."  
  
Sometimes even a prissy cat guardian needed   
to be taken down a peg or two.  
  
"I AM NOT JEALOUS!!!"  
  
Minako's laughter rang like a melody of fine   
silver bells, a innocent sweetness that was   
pleasing to the ears and uplifting to the spirit.   
However, for a certain moon cat it was pure torture.  
  
~~~~~~~   
-The next day  
  
*CRASH**POW*SMASH*  
*CRUNCH**SNAP**POP*  
  
[I give up! I give up!]  
  
"I'm not finished yet Pop! Take that!"  
  
Ranma grabbed the wooden sign that his father   
turned panda had been waving around and beaned   
him a good one with it.  
  
*KLONK*  
  
*SPLOOSH*  
  
Landing on one of the rocks bordering the koi pond,   
the pigtailed boy shot his unconscious opponent an  
angry glare before stepping toward the house to   
get ready for *ugh* school.  
  
"Feeling better Ranma?"  
  
"Not really Kasumi. Stupid old man would have   
to go and eat my dinner and leave me out cold in   
the dining room."  
  
"I'm sure things will turn out all right   
in the end. By the way, breakfast is ready.   
I made extra helpings since I knew you'd be   
hungry once you woke up."  
  
"Thanks a lot Kasumi!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
An arrow hissed through   
the air before missing its  
intended target.  
  
Somewhere nearby a demon started swearing.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When he didn't immediately go   
charging in to eat Kasumi looked   
quizzically at him. Although he   
had only been here for a few days   
she knew that this was not like him at all.  
Something seemed different about him today...  
  
She couldn't quite put her finger on   
it but it was almost as if...  
  
As if...  
  
"Um...Kasumi."  
  
"Yes Ranma?"  
  
"Did you put that blanket on me?"  
  
"Yes I did, why do you ask?"  
  
"Oh, no reason. I just wanted   
to...um...thank you."  
  
Was he...blushing? What could that possibly mean?  
  
"You see I'm not really used to, um....I mean...that it's   
that not many people have ever really done something   
nice like that for me before..."  
  
"But surely your father..."  
  
He started to snort in digust   
but then changed his mind and   
just looked her straight in   
the eye.  
  
"Oh...I see...he wouldn't, would he..."  
  
Silently he shook his head.  
  
"So anyway, uh...that's all I had to say...um...."  
  
~~~~~~  
  
A second arrow whizzed by.  
  
It was a doozy.  
  
That was when the demon started cursing up a storm.  
  
It actually did succeed in calling one up,  
but the cloud refused to rain on anyone   
except him.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
For a moment Ranma raised his head and   
looked at her as if he wanted to say   
something more. Then the moment passed   
and the martial artist ran off to the   
breakfast table.  
  
"Oh my, what was that all about?"  
  
If she didn't know better she could have sworn that...  
  
~~~~~~  
  
Ranma silently cursed himself for his cowardice.  
  
What had come over him? He'd just been thanking   
her when something had caused him to take a second   
look at the eldest Tendo daughter. He'd never realized   
exactly how pretty she really was before. It was as if he'd   
been wearing a blindfold for the past few days and had just   
removed it this morning. Then when he'd been about to tell   
her that he'd decided he was not going to go through with this  
engagement with Akane he just couldn't do it. Kasumi was so   
nice and considerate that she didn't deserve to be hurt by his   
decision and its consequences. Or at least that was what   
he kept telling himself.  
  
Maybe after school was over he could find Mina-chan again.  
That thought cheered him up immediately. But he'd have to take   
extra precautions to keep the curse a secret, that had been one   
thing he'd left out of yesterday's chat. Ranma hated having to   
hide the truth from Minako but he didn't have a choice as he saw it.   
He didn't want her to think he was a weirdo or some kind of pervert.   
Once he was sure that she could accept him as he was, that she   
wouldn't reject him because the difference a few degrees in   
the temperature of any water contacting him made...then he'd   
tell her all of it.  
  
Till then, he'd just make sure to watch out   
for cold water when he was with her.  
  
It was a perfect plan.  
Nothing could go wrong.  
  
And pigs would sprout wings and migrate to Canada.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
"He really thinks that stalling will make it easier? That never works!"  
  
The Bard wasn't quite as dumb as everyone thought he was.  
  
"This is going to get ugly."  
  
Rowan sighed, he'd been in the same situation once before.  
It was better to just get it over with, waiting would just make   
things worse.  
  
"50 gold coins say that he can't keep   
her from finding out for more then a week."  
  
"You're on, Shadow."  
  
The Guardian couldn't resist a smug grin.  
This was one bet he couldn't lose!  
  
Of course that was what he'd thought the last   
ten thousand times too.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
-Somewhere, Somewhen  
  
Sailor Pluto felt the first   
signs of a major migraine forming.  
  
It was going to be one of *those* milleniums.  
  
(to be continued) 


	3. Part 3: Stop, In The Name Of Love!

Private Bet #8: Warriors of Love  
by Shade  
  
Disclaimer: It was those nice young men in their clean white   
coats and they're COMING TO TAKE ME AWAY HAHA HOHO HEEHEE!!   
To the funny farm where life is beautiful all the time!!   
  
~~~~~~~  
Part 3: Stop, In The Name Of Love!  
~~~~~~~  
  
-Outside the conventional dimensions of space and time  
  
Sailor Pluto was not a happy Time Guardian.  
  
To put it mildly, this was not a good thing.   
  
And if she wasn't happy, then someone else   
wasn't going to be happy for much longer either.  
One of the little benefits of being an immortal was that   
you could hold grudges for a long time. A *very* long time.  
  
SOMEBODY was going to pay for this headache.   
  
As soon as she finished unraveling the knots in the tangled   
threads of fate and destiny and pinpointed where in the   
past/present/future the screwup had taken place the guilty  
party was going to learn *why* it's not conductive to one's  
continued good health to get on Sailor Pluto's bad side.   
  
But first...  
  
"Damn it!! I need some ASPIRIN!!!"  
  
~~~~~~~~  
-Furinkan High  
  
Today the school was strangely quiet.  
No screaming hordes came charging out   
to try and get a date from Akane.   
  
This was unusual. Of course it might   
have had something to do with the fact   
that Miss Tendo hadn't arrived yet.  
  
This was the side of Furinkan that Ranma  
had never seen before. It was kinda weird,  
but he decided that he liked it. There was   
something to be said for a morning without   
his father trying to deprive him of food   
(knocked out cold during their sparring   
session) or a malicious old lady trying to   
splash him (she'd caught a cold from last   
night's dousing). There wasn't an unwanted   
fiancee treating him like the dirt under   
her shoe (she'd overslept this morning),  
and the stupid Horde-o-Hentai's wasn't crashing   
around like a herd of lovesick rhinos (they were   
standing around in the school courtyard crying   
and sobbing).  
  
It was quite possibly the greatest morning of his entire life.  
  
"Ranma Saotome."  
  
Well so much for *that* idea.   
  
"Yeah? So what do you guys want?"  
  
He dropped into a defensive stance   
as the Athletic Akane Admirers walked   
up to him.   
  
"We are giving up on our pursuit of Akane Tendo."  
  
"Oh...HUH?!"  
  
Okay, he hadn't seen *this* one coming!   
Considering the average IQ demonstrated by  
the males here, he'd been expecting them to  
follow Kuno's example from yesterday and try   
to attack him again. The emphasis being on   
the word "try" of course.  
  
"Kuno was the greatest fighter in the school!"  
  
{Well that's not saying much...}  
  
"And the biggest pervert!"  
  
{Now *that* on the other hand...}  
  
"If he couldn't defeat you, we have no chance at all!"  
  
{Well I'll be damned...they *do* know   
how to use their brains after all!}  
  
"So we're giving our acceptance to your engagement!!"  
  
All of the boys started talking at once, some  
to congratulate him, others tearfully mourning  
their loss, and the rest just whispering various  
barbs and snipes just out of earshot.  
  
{...Gah...}  
  
"NOW JUST WAIT A SECOND HERE!"  
  
That shut them up.   
  
Ranma took a moment to appreciate the   
sudden return of the morning quiet.  
  
But this nonsense was going to stop!  
  
"We are NOT engaged! I never agreed to the  
dumb idea and I sure as heck didn't ask   
to be dumped on that violent, ungrateful,  
spoiled, thick headed, stupid...!!"  
  
He suddenly found himself struggling to find a   
word capable of describing exactly how much he   
did *not* like the youngest Tendo. Having spent   
almost every waking moment since he could first   
remember either practicing martial arts or simply   
fighting, his vocabulary wasn't exactly up to par   
with his peers.  
  
But enough got through that even the A.A.A.   
was able to figure out the gist of it. Needless  
to say, after hearing their goddess being profaned   
like that they were not happy.  
  
"GET HIM!!"  
  
Ranma started to smile and crack his knuckles   
as he watched the bloodthirsty mob of hot headed   
youths rush towards him.  
  
Finally, something he knew how to deal with.  
  
~~~~~~  
-Guess Who  
  
"AAAHHH! I'M SOOO LATE!!!"  
  
"I told you to set the alarm."  
  
"Quiet Artemis! Run!! I can still   
make second period if we hurry!!"  
  
Just another average morning   
in the Aino household.  
  
~~~~~~  
-Speaking Of Households  
  
"Get up Ranma! We're going to be-"  
  
Surprise, surprise!  
  
"Where is he?!"  
  
"If you're looking for Ranma,  
he left over an hour ago."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"Won't you have some breakfast?"  
  
Zip. Zoom. Zing.  
  
"Oh my!"  
  
Kasumi blinked as her nice (but violent)  
little sister went from a completely  
stupified standstill to a full out charge  
in the direction of the school.   
  
It appeared that Akane was building up  
quite a head of steam, if you listened  
real good you could almost hear the high  
pitched whistling coming from her ears.  
  
"Ranma no BAKA!"  
  
~~~~~~  
-And You Were Expecting?  
  
"Man, you guys suck."  
  
This was just so disappointing,  
now he felt like some kind of bully.  
  
These boys had to be the most sorry   
bunch of weaklings to disgrace the   
martial arts he'd ever seen. Not one  
of them had seemed to have anything on   
their minds except trying to hit him as   
hard as possible. No strategy, no defense,   
it was pathetic!  
  
{No wonder that clumsy slowpoke always   
manages to plow through them every morning.  
They're all hot air and glass jaws.}  
  
Not even breathing hard, Ranma walked past   
the hill of groaning bodies to the school  
building and took his first step towards   
a new future.  
  
He would also go down as the first person   
in recorded history to give Sailor Pluto an   
industrial strength migraine.  
  
~~~~~~  
-Meanwhile  
  
He was fast becoming a minor legend in Japan.  
They called him, the Clueless Lost Stinky Poo Bum.  
  
Not only was Ryoga Hibiki unable to follow directions   
even if his life depended on it, the dope also didn't   
bathe regularly anymore, hence the latter part of the   
title that had been hung upon him.  
  
{Kill Ranma! This is all your fault Saotome!! Vengence!!  
Ranma Saotome = Coward = Evil = Reason for my unhappiness  
= Obstacle = Kill!!!}  
  
The mind of Ryoga was simple and set   
on only one track (a broken one, at that).   
  
Fortunately for all, he would also continue to   
go the wrong way for a couple more weeks thanks   
to a lovesick yak that was now following him around.  
  
"Get away from me!!"  
  
He started running in a random direction.   
  
"Yaaakk!"  
  
It kept on chasing him.  
  
"Ranma, this is all your fault!!"  
  
~~~~~~  
-So close, yet so far  
  
"..."  
  
Blue flames of depression burned over   
the blonde holding buckets outside  
of the classroom.  
  
The white mooncat sitting next to her shook his head.  
  
"I told you so."  
  
Minako kicked him out the window.  
  
~~~~~~  
-(Yes, I do enjoy messing with your fragile little minds)  
  
This was not turning out to   
be a good day for Akane Tendo.  
  
Not only was she running late for her classes,  
but she'd also forgotten breakfast and to  
add insult to injury an old man had *accidently*   
splashed her with his hose while watering his garden.  
  
And this was all thanks to an unwanted fiance who   
had the nerve not to sleep in and be rudely awakened   
by a bucket of cold water that Akane had taken the   
time and trouble to draw this morning.  
  
{When I find that baka..."Wham-Pow-To da Moon"!}  
  
That was when she tripped over the first unconscious body.  
  
*CRASH*  
  
Only her pride was injured, but she was still pissed as hell.  
  
"Hey you! Why don't you watch where you're..."  
  
Then she finally noticed that there were a *lot* of bodies here.  
  
And all of them looked very *drained*.  
  
{What's going on here?!}  
  
She hesitated too long.  
  
*Grab*  
  
"Ulp!"  
  
Normally the self proclaimed martial artist wouldn't   
have been worried about being attacked by a slender  
brown haired woman old enough to be her mother.  
Even if it seemed that this person was stronger then   
they looked since she was able to hoist the youngest   
Tendo's not inconsiderable weight over a foot off the   
ground with only one hand.  
  
Akane wasn't afraid of freaks. She knew that she  
could beat any human opponent, no matter how strong   
they might be.  
  
Except that this woman's eyes were pure red,   
pupils and all. And they were *glowing*.  
  
"Who are you?!"  
  
The "woman" smiled. And revealed fangs in the process.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"  
  
It was going to be a *really* bad day for Akane.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
-P33R the F34R!  
  
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE OUT OF ASPRIN?!!"  
  
Ever see a pissed off Time Guardian with a killer migraine?  
  
It is *not* a sight for the faint of heart.  
  
"I'msosorryma'amwe'llgetmorerightawayyeswewillsoplease-  
-ohpleasedon'tkillmeI'vegotawifeandthreekidsandIjustwetmyself!!"  
  
But it does get results.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
-Let Dreaming Senshi Lie  
  
"Psss!"  
  
Minako ignored the noise coming from her schoolbag.  
She still hadn't forgiven Artemis for rubbing it  
in with his two cents earlier. It was too much   
to ask of a young and beautiful girl to be both   
a sailorsuited heroine of love and justice *and*   
still keep up with everything in school.   
  
"Pssst!!"  
  
She suddenly wished that Ranma were here.   
  
He would understand!   
  
Immediately hearts and stars filled the daydreaming girl's eyes.  
  
Unfortunately that also caused her to miss her partner's  
hasty exit from her schoolbag.  
  
Artemis took one look at that blushing face and knew   
that it would take hours for her to get back to normal.  
  
But they needed Sailor V right now.   
  
Seeing that ordinary means of getting her attention had   
failed, the white moon cat was forced to take more   
drastic measures.  
  
Silently he crept up to an exposed ankle.  
  
"Forgive me, Mina."  
  
*CHOMP*  
  
"AAAAAAAIIIIIEEEEE!!!"  
  
A few minutes later a cursing masked heroine   
was taking to the rootops with a slight limp.  
  
Back in the classroom, a black and blue ball   
of fur made a note to *never* do that again.  
  
  
-T.B.C! 


End file.
